Riviere
by meowarts
Summary: At 18, Anna Kyouyama arrives at Tokyo, Japan. Having lived all her life in Izumo and just released from the orphanage, she takes in the new surroundings with newfound clarity and zest. Although her past has scarred her forever, will a cheerful brunette change her outlook on life? (YohxAnna)
1. Chapter 1

At 18, Anna Kyouyama arrives at Tokyo, Japan. Having lived all her life in Izumo and just released from the orphanage, she takes in the new surroundings with newfound clarity and zest. Although her past has scarred her forever, will a cheerful brunette change her outlook on life? (YohxAnna)

I guess this story is a bit AU, here's chapter one~

* * *

Kyouyama Anna narrowed her eyes as she looked out the window of the train. She sighed in her seat and slumped down, her hair ruffled from the long journey. The clock above the window read 11:17 AM. She was sleeping peacefully when the train trail unfortunately came to an abrupt stop at a station, the sun conspiring with the train, setting its rays on the blonde at the exact same time. To say Kyouyama Anna was irked was an understatement. She was known for her short temper and the people at the orphanage knew not to go against her. During mornings, she preferred to wake up on her own and with breakfast greeting her.

Anna sighed. She had just left the place she called home for years the night before and she wasn't sure how she felt about that. Somehow, she felt the desire to run back and stay there forever in comfort yet some part of her knew she couldn't hide from the world in that place all her life. She further retreated into her mind when she thought about the few people she left behind that she considered her family. Kino, who was not only her mentor, but someone she considered as her adoptive grandmother that she never met or had. And there was Tamao, the pink-haired orphan who worked as a maid to pay off her parents' debt. She admitted she found her annoying at first but knowing she wasn't the friendliest person there she softened eventually to Tamao's quiet invitation to friendship.

They didn't share much in common except for the fact they were orphans, and well.. That was it. Tamao was shy and soft-spoken while Anna was frank, straightforward and enjoyed solitude.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a soft knock on the door frame of the small cell where she stayed.

"Excuse me, miss. It's lunch time; will you be having your meal here?"

Anna peered at the food cart the train attendant brought with her. After she decided on a tuna sandwich and a soda, she took out her music player and put her earphones on. The small gadget was a gift from Kino on her 16th birthday; one of the few possessions that she had that was of value. Right after she finished her meal, the train came to a stop.

She stepped out her cell curiously, she didn't hear the announcement. She saw the signboard that read Tokyo and quickly grabbed a single bag and stepped out. She walked out the station, her eyes setting on each new thing she saw. Although to others she seemed indifferent, to people who knew her they could tell by the subtle look in her eyes that she was curious, if not a little discouraged. She had never been to a city before, let alone any other place besides the small province of Izumo so everything seemed new to her.

She had turned 18 a week ago, and the Orphanage rules state once an orphan turns 18 they either need to step out and find their own way or they stay there to help around. She had basically gone under what could be interpreted as school at the orphanage. They had teachers that taught the basic subjects, and Anna was top of the class. She was well-read and was witty with a sharp tongue to match. Once an orphan decided they would leave the place, they were given money for the train fare to wherever they wanted to go and ample amount of pocket money to spend.

The now free blonde roamed around the streets, taking in everything. She didn't know her way around and she still had to find a job and a place to stay but somehow she wasn't all that worried. She knew that things would be ok. She had picked up this motto when she was younger and had met a very optimistic little boy. She couldn't recall him though, not even a name or what his face looked like. She only remembered his clear, kind brown eyes that shot through her like electricity.

Anna quickly dismissed the thought. This was not the time to think about trivial things in the past then she wasn't even sure of. Somehow she ended up in the park and settled down on a bench by a small lake. Taking out a slightly bent cigarette, she lit it and let it linger between her slender fingers. She rarely smoked; only when she felt the need to be calm or to sort out her thoughts. She had picked up the habit after she was cleaning a room where an orphan had left the day before. She found a pack and was curious and curiosities lead to what she had now.

Closing her eyes, she thought hard.

"Everything will be ok, everything will be ok."

She repeated in her head as she threw half the cigarette and walked off into the city.

* * *

Thanks for reading! Let me know what you guys think of chapter one.


	2. Chapter 2

Hello, thanks for the reviews/ follows, I appreciate them~ Also, I realized after reading the reviews that it is a bit out of character for Anna to take up the habit of smoking, I've thought of editing that part out but decided to let it stay since it's a small, harmless detail that won't affect the story very much. Here's chapter two and again, thanks for the feedback!~

* * *

"That'll be 300 yen ma'am. Thanks and come again."

Anna politely uttered to an older woman. She checked the time on the wall and quietly started walking off towards the back door.

"Be back in 10, Miss Anna."

Anna nodded to an older male who looked slightly out of place in a retro white and purple suit. She sat at the small picnic table they had for the employees and took out a small carton of milk and sipped quietly while she munched on her biscuits, thinking. Later on, on her first day in Tokyo she had found an apartment for herself. It was small and was bare of anything except an electrical stove and a mini-fridge. There was a small bedroom with a single bed and a closet which had a connecting bathroom, which she had all to herself. The apartment was recently built so the rent wasn't very expensive and everything was new. Anna was aware she couldn't afford to be picky with her budget, not to mention she needed clothes and some basic necessities. The landlord was a kind, middle-aged man who wore glasses and a gentle smile. He often could be seen behind the apartment building, in the backyard tending to the garden.

Two days later, she luckily found a job at a place called Harizanmai. It was a two story building: the first floor consisting of a music/ book store where Anna worked as a cashier while the second floor served as a café in the morning and a pub at night. It had been a week now, and Anna was getting used to her new life.

The workers at Harizanmai were mostly around her age, most of them college students who either dropped out or needed the extra money, with the exception of Ryu; a man in his late 20s who Anna assessed as a rebel without a concrete cause. It was a good thing she headed Kino's insistence that she bring with her the certificate that stated she had graduated high school a few months ago. After her break, Anna finished the rest of her shift and was now on her way home. Deciding to walk, she blended in the late afternoon crowd.

Walking down the street, the breeze blowing back her blonde hair and bright red bandana; so far she liked living in the city. She enjoyed her independence and liked how different it was back in Izumo. The feeling of blending in the crowd, no one paying attention to her as she passed by gave her a new feeling of comfort. It was a change from being talked about behind her back and despised by the townsfolk when she was simply out to buy ingredients for supper. It felt good to be ignored for once, and not be judged for her parents' mistakes or her predicament on the town. It felt nice to be anonymous for a while and starting from scratch.

The experience had hardened her and molded her into the stoic Anna she was now, not caring what others thought of her even though so far, she found nothing in the city that so far fazed her. She had a place of her own to retreat to and a paying job and that was enough for now. At Harizanmai, she often volunteered waitressing at the pub for extra money since she really didn't have much to do in her extra time. An assortment of different local bands played regularly and Anna found it amusing and a chance to be exposed to the youth culture in Tokyo.

The itako turned abruptly at a corner and was now walking through the door to her apartment. The walls were bare for now since she had yet to decorate. She landed on the couch with a soft thud, feeling oddly tired. Without much resistance, she fell asleep as the last warm rays of sunlight filtered through the window and enveloped her in a soothing moonlit trance called sleep.

* * *

The next night, Anna found herself cleaning a table that was previously occupied. She volunteered for the night shift and was thoroughly bored. A band had yet to play and it seemed like a slow night for the place.

"Anna, do you mind if I take the break scheduled right now? I really need it, I'm tired from school." A young girl with pale blue hair asked Anna.

"Sure, Pirika."

Anna watched the blue-haired girl walk towards the employee comfort room.

"Hey guys. We're False Graveyard. And this song is called Poltergeist."

With that, the bass player plucked out a slow steady beat before the guitar and drums joined in a noisy melody with odd time signatures. The vocalist had more incomprehensible shouts and aggressive yells than singing and Anna cringed a little, realizing exactly why the turn out tonight was bad.

"Such stimulating music isn't it?"

Someone yelled over the music. Anna raised a brow and turned to look at the person.

"I would say inspiring but I'm afraid that would be going too far."

The person chuckled at Anna's response while Anna stared at him, expressionless.

"I'm waiting for my brother and friends to arrive. Mind leading me to a booth the farthest away from the stage?"

Anna nodded and led the guy to an unoccupied booth near the comfort rooms and gave him a menu as he sat down. After a quick look at the menu, he stared at Anna and smiled. He seemed to be checking her out, and Anna tapped her foot impatiently on the floor getting annoyed. He smirked at her, and he could feel her patience wading off.

"So what will it be." Anna voiced out as the first song ended.

"You know, you're kinda cute to be working here."

Anna's brow raised up higher, if that was possible but chose to bite back her sarcastic response, not wanting to receive a costumer complaint.

"What will it be, _sir_."

The guy laughed once more and threw his long silky hair back; seeming thoroughly amused which irked her even more.

"My, you're a feisty one aren't you? I can already tell you're different from all the other girls that work here."

Anna scoffed at the comment.

"And obviously, you're not from here. With your looks alone, it's pretty plain obvious."

He eyed Anna's blonde hair curiously, a finger on his lip as it to appear deep in thought. This to Anna appeared like a failed attempt to look cute.

"I would say. Since your ridiculous charade of what you call 'charm' has no effect at all. In fact, I would want nothing more than to take your order and possibly, direct you to another waitress who I'm sure would be interested in your bleak charisma skills and feminine locks."

The long-haired boy looked taken aback for a second, his eyes wide at her. Anna smirked, as he looked like he struggled to throw out a biting response. Just then, Ryu walked towards them.

"Is there a problem here, Hao?"

Ryu knew Hao since they were regular customers and friends. Anna cut Hao off.

"Nothing's wrong, Ryu. But our customer here seems to prefer a different waitress. Anyway it's time for my break."

And with that, Anna walked away. Ryu was curious as to what happened since he saw the two taking an unusually longer time just taking an order and was about to question him when company arrived.

"Hey aniki-san." A boy who looked exactly like Hao but with shorter hair sat down at the booth.

"Sorry we're late, Horo took too long to wake up." He laughed then scratched his head, one of his habits.

"But we're here aren't we? That's what's important. Even though I can't quite say _everyone_ wanted to be part of this." A boy with dark purple hair spoke up, his hair had a single spike and his yellow eyes glowed, oddly complimenting his look.

"And we had to drag Ren out too." Yoh explained, chuckling when a blue haired boy wearing an Ainu inspired jacket sat down.

"Well not me! I'm starving! What're we havin- Oh by the way, is Pirika on duty? I need to talk to her."

Ryu smiled at the bunch and took their orders. A few songs later, Ryu came back with their orders.

"So Hao, tell me what happened between you and Miss Anna."

Ryu asked suggestively. The boys fell silent and all eyes were on Hao.

"Anna? Who's that, aniki?" Yoh asked, confused.

Hao sighed, knowing there was no way out of it now and recounted to them the details and how she had bluntly insulted his charm and looks. Everyone laughed while Ren managed a smirk.

"Real smooth, Asakura." Ren commented as he sipped on his milk. Hao rolled his eyes at the Chinese's comment.

"Whatever, I'm sure she'll come around the next time and she won't be able to withstand me." Ren snorted and everyone continued their meals, Ryu walking away to tend to another customer.

"So what does she look like, dude?" Horo asked, his mouth full.

"She has blonde hair."

"And?" Horo asked expectantly at Hao. Hao appeared annoyed to be talking about Anna.

"You'll know it's her when you meet her."

* * *

Anna sighed and threw away the rest of her unfinished sandwich. She wasn't hungry but she didn't feel like heading out back either. She felt tired and was looking forward to a long hot bath and sleeping. The little exchange she had with that Hao person suddenly crossed her mind and her brows furrowed. _Who the hell did he think he was anyways?_ She thought, annoyed to be reminded of their conversation. She walked out and noticed there were only three occupied tables and checked the time and thought, _It's already 10pm anyway, I doubt any more customers will come in._ With that reasoning in mind, she quickly found Ryu and explained that she wasn't feeling well. Ryu nodded.

"Well… Ok Miss Anna. Miss Pirika and I can handle this anyway. Take care going home!" Anna nodded her thanks and walked out.

As soon as she arrived, she quickly shed away her clothes and stepped in the bathtub, eyes closed. She hummed a slow tune and took a sip of the hot tea she brought with her. Anna sunk herself deeper in the water, fully relaxed. Unknowingly, she fell asleep. Suddenly, she heard a loud bang on her door; followed by a succession of loud bangs. Startled, Anna jumped up and realized she fell asleep. The wall clock read 2:33 AM.

_Damn_.

She thought. She carefully got out of the bathtub and in her robe. She gulped when the banging continued. She quickly grabbed her prayer beads; she did live alone after all. With one last deep breath, she swung the door open and gasped.

* * *

Thank you for reading chapter two~


End file.
